It’s the newest #ultracompact #ultralight (yes it classifies as carry-on!) travel pram being snapped up by the modern mama set…
Yea, when it comes to pram design, Bugaboo is known for being among the best.
European design mixed with sleek styling make Bugaboo’s range a much sought after item, and with its newest travel pram – the Bugaboo Ant – about to hit the shops (1 July), we sat down with Bugaboo’s badass Senior Lead Designer, Aernout Dijkstra-Hellinga (papa to Yasmijn, 10, and Lard, 8), to get the lowdown.
Tell us about Bugaboo’s newest creation…
The Bugaboo Ant is your greatest travel companion!
We really focused on a combination of ultra-compactness for travelling and comfort for child and parent as a starting point. It was important for the Bugaboo Ant to have a reversible seat – which is world-facing or parent-facing, and it can also be used from newborn.
The seat is highly ergonomic, with a straight up position which is good for a child to develop correct posture, coupled with a sturdy frame and soft fabrics.
Together with the manoeuvrability Bugaboo is known for, we took great care to have the correct geometry combined with full suspension, both in the swivel wheels and the frame, ensuring parents don’t have to compromise on comfort and compactness.
The Bugaboo Ant also holds up to 8kg of storage. The underseat basket is large and easy to access and the rear luggage compartment doesn’t have to be emptied when you fold the stroller. This way, you can always leave some of the essentials stored away in the stroller!
The stroller can take up to 30kg of weight; 8kg in the luggage compartments and 22kg in the seat. This shows how sturdy and durable the stroller is and that it has been engineered to last.
One of the biggest puzzles we had to combat was to make a small stroller that had a large amount of storage, well thought through geometry, remarkable functionality, durability and the ability to long, was comfortable, reversible and had a reclining seat, yet was small enough to be carry-on luggage! We managed to solve this puzzle, all in a stroller weighing just 7.2kg!
What is the inspiration behind the Bugaboo Ant?
We saw parents all over the world struggling to transport a lot of stuff and children as they travel around, be it in and around the city on public transport, or going on holidays in the car, train, bus or plane. We needed to come up with a solution for that, something new that didn’t already exist, and something that meant both parent and child don’t have to compromise on comfort. And so, we made the Bugaboo Ant.
What do you love most about it?
I really love that we have created a totally new and beautiful stroller that combines all the features a parent and child need, setting a new standard for compact strollers.
I am also very proud that we have taken the next step in thinking about responsible, sustainable product design. In our vision “products that last” we engineer and test our products to last for 10 years. This means the Bugaboo Ant will have a long life, while being a very strong and durable product, that can also be easily repaired or refreshed with new fabrics and parts.
It is also partly made from recycled materials and is designed with the end in life in mind, with 80% of the materials recyclable.
What is the standout feature of this new design from a mama’s point of view?
I believe that mothers look at baby products with safety and comfort for their child in mind. At Bugaboo, safety, quality and durability are extremely important, so we test our products to a higher standard than any required test program worldwide, and in doing so we believe in the safety of our products.
When it comes to comfort, we have designed the seat in such a way that is can be reclined into a fully flat position, so it can be used from birth.
For a toddler, we have made the seat as straight up as possible, so the child can develop the right posture, as opposed to being forced into a reclined position. The combination of a sturdy aluminium frame and soft fabrics gives both good support and comfort too.
Together with the full suspension in both swivel wheels and in the chassis, the stroller is agile and manoeuvrable, while being a very comfortable ride for both parent and child.
How does Bugaboo fuse design, style and innovation?
We have a very integrated approach in our way of working. Right from the start, we make sure designers, engineers, stylists and marketeers work closely together. We all sit together in the same room as much as possible to make sure form and function are integrated from the start. Our lead designers also have a lot of technical knowledge, so they do understand how to solve every puzzle.
What do you love most about your job?
It is a very special feeling and a great honour to hear back from Bugaboo owners that they love using our products and that they actually help them feel confident about being a new parent. To be able to be part of that development process and give people more joy and confident in their lives is for me the most rewarding thing about being a designer.
What is the best thing about being a dad?
The unconditional love! Helping your kids grow and develop into people with their own ideas and feelings is both a huge responsibility, as well as a very intriguing and interesting process. Not to mention the things you learn about yourself. Sometimes children are the perfect mirror of the things you do right and wrong.
What does success mean to you?
Being able to play a part in developing the best possible products that people love to use on a daily basis. And doing so with great colleagues, having fun both at work and at home!
You can check the Bugaboo Ant out online available from 1 July.
You may also like How to Vacay Like An Insta Star With Your Minis and The First Fijian Resport to Offer Free Nannies from Newborns to Tweens
